RNLI Scotland respond to three calls a day in 2022 as we call for your help

In Scotland, volunteer lifeboat crews at 46 lifeboat stations around the coast launched 1,114 times in 2022, meaning three Scottish lifeboats were called upon each day last year.

The charity is now putting out its own Mayday call as it faces yet another busy year ahead. With high numbers of visitors expected as people continue to holiday closer to home, more funds are needed to ensure the lifesaving service is able to keep everyone safe.

In southwest Scotland, Campbeltown RNLI launched 25 times and saved the life of Glasgow-local, Gordon MacDonald, in August 2022 while he was holidaying in Kintyre.

Gordon was paddling at Westport Beach with family when they experienced what was described as a ‘freak wave’ that brought everyone off their feet. Gordon was being pulled further away from the shore and in desperate need of assistance.

Campbeltown RNLI crew members Gregor Menzies, Michael Smith and William Livingstone responded and found Gordon unconscious, face down in the water.

William said: ‘We came over the crest of a wave, and found Gordon unconscious, face down in the water and not breathing. We pulled Gordon onto the D-class inshore lifeboat, began CPR straight away and headed straight to the beach to meet with the Coastguard and Scottish Ambulance Service.

‘We headed back to the lifeboat station, unsure on whether he would live or die.’

Gordon was airlifted to Glasgow and spent time in intensive care before making a full recovery.

He said: ‘When I was floating, I was thinking I’m not going to make it. Thoughts like that are going through your head and you’re thinking, what have I done here and how has this happened? And then to be given that back, because at that point, it appeared it was being taken away from me, and to be able to live life again - that is quite priceless.

‘I owe my life to the volunteer crew members and the RNLI. Without them I wouldn’t be here.’

Thanks to the quick thinking and training of the volunteer crew members at Campbeltown RNLI, Gordon’s life was saved. But this training is only possible through generous donations and the support of the public.

Reflecting on a busy year, Jill Hepburn, Head of Region for the RNLI in Scotland, anticipates the RNLI will see a similar demand on the service in 2023.

She says: ‘It’s clear from these new figures that there is huge demand for our service with an average of three Scottish lifeboat stations being called upon every day last year.

‘Our amazing volunteer lifesavers drop everything when the call for help comes in.

‘Mayday is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to take part in events like the Mayday Mile to raise the funds that allow us to be there when we’re needed most. But we need to be ready. Training, kit, stations, fuel are just some of the things we need to save lives at sea, and your fundraising can help us to provide this vital service.’

The RNLI’s Mayday national fundraiser begins on Monday 1 May and will run for the whole month across the UK and Ireland. RNLI.org/SupportMayday

Notes to editors

· RNLI interviews are available by request.

· A video of Gordon’s reunion with the volunteer crew at Campbeltown RNLI is available here:

· Photos are available to download here:

· Lifeboats in Scotland launched 1114 times in 2022.

RNLI media contacts

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.